Lantern

ABSTRACT

A lantern having a cantilevered handle swivelly mounted on the casing of the lantern is disclosed. The handle and casing are moveable relative to each other to any of a plurality of adjusted positions. A portion of the handle serves as a support for the lantern when used as such as well as a lens guard moved to a position in front of the lens of the lantern.

United States Patent Inventor Nolan K. Rhoades Belolt, Wis.

Appl. No. 15,130

Filed Feb. 27, 1970 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 Assignee ESB Incorporated LANTERN 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 240/ 110.63, 248/126, 248/175 Int. Cl F211 7/00 Field 01 Search 240/8.18,

10.6,10.63,53, 52,5, 10, l0.63,57.1, 10.61; IMO/81,90, 114, 1 l5, 1 19; 248/126, 175; 312/244 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,431,822 10/1922 Lamb 240/8.18 2,491,891 12/1949 Caldwell 248/175 X 2,620,388 12/1952 Franz 340/90 X 3,087,052 4/1963 Torgerson. 240/1061 3,329,810 7/1967 Meagher 240/525 X Primary Examiner- Louis J. Capozi Almmeys- Alfred J. Snyder, Jr., Robert H. Robinson,

Raymond L. Balfour and Anthony J. Rossi ABSTRACT: A lantern having a cantilevered handle swivelly mounted on the casing of the lantern is disclosed. The handle and casing are moveable relative to each other to any ofa plurality of adjusted positions. A portion of the handle serves as a support for the lantern when used as such as well as a lens guard moved to a position in front of the lens of the lantern.

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Nolan K. Rhondes LANTERN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to portable electric lighting devices commonly referred to as hand lanterns.

2. Description of the Prior Art Portable electric lighting devices such as the flashlight and the lantern types are used widely by sportsman, motorists and industrial, commercial or residential users. The flashlight types are generally cylindrical in shape which makes the direction of light to a desired location difficult unless the device is hand held, and, of course, this eliminates one hand of the user from holding anything else.

The lantern types are usually of larger size and generally rectangular in cross section which permits their being placed upon a substantially flat surface for aiming the beam of light, generally horizontally, straight ahead." Certain of the lantern types, however, are adapted to provide both an upward vertical or upward angular beam of light by resting the rear wall of the lantern on a substantially flat surface to produce the upward vertical beam of light, or by standing beveled rear edge portions of the lantern on a flat surface, to produce the upwardly and angularly directed beam of light. As an example of this type see US. Pat. No. 3,456,102. With such lanterns the degree of angularity of the upwardly directed beam of light is generally limited to the contour provided by the rear edge portions of the lantern, however, certain prior art lanterns are provided with bails or handles adapted to cooperate with the casing of the lantern to provide a wider range in which the degree of angularity of the beam can be set. For an example of this latter type see US. Pat. No. 3,252,235.

Another example of a lantern of the type here contemplated is described in US. Pat. No. 3,329,810. The lantern disclosed in this patent includes a combined stand and handle which is so constructed and attached to the lantern that the lantern can be aimed in a desired direction while the lantern is resting on the handle.

As will be appreciated, lanterns of the type here contemplated are considered to be high volume consumer items. As such, the sale price of the lanterns must be low to insure its acceptability in the market place. Low sale price in turn dictates that the lanterns be manufactured at the lowest possible cost. In order to meet low manufacturing cost, however, sacrifice must not be made in the styling or operational features of the lanterns because, for the most part, it is on the basis of attractiveness and usefulness that these lanterns are ultimately purchased as there are many competitively priced lanterns now on the market.

It is among the overall objects of the present invention to provide a lantern which meets the criteria of attractiveness and versatility to the user while at the same time enabling their production at a low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the present invention provides in an electrical lantern of the type having a casing and lens enclosing an electrical power source, and a lamp bulb electrically connected to the power source though manual on-off switch means, a handle swivelly mounted on the casing at a single location intermediate the ends thereof such that either the handle or the casing can be moved about an axis of rotation lying in plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casmg.

As will be seen more clearly hereinafter in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, a lantern and a handle constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention adapts the lantern to be conveniently gripped by an operator for carrying the lantern while at the same time permitting the direction of light to be adjusted to various selected positions, and the selected positions maintained without further aid of the operator.

The cross section of the lantern of the invention permits the lantern itself to be placed on a substantially flat surface for directing the beam of light horizontally straight ahead." In addition, the handle of the lantern is constructed and arranged to cooperate with the casing of the lantern so that the light can be aimed in any desired direction, that is, straight ahead" and through a full range of angular directions including both vertically upward and vertically downward, when the casing of the lantern is supported and resting on a rear or foot portion of the handle. The handle of the lantern, also, serves as a hanger for use with a shelf, hook, etc., and the beam of light from the lantern can be directed in any direction while the lantern is hung."

The handle can be transposed to bring the rear or foot portion thereof from a "normal position. at the rear of the casing to a position in front of the lens to serve as a lens guard during transportation or storage of the lantern.

A more complete understanding of the invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be had from a reading of the detailed description of the invention that follows when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation of the lantern provided in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view; and,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the handle positioned so as to mount the lantern on a substantially flat surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the electrical lantern, as provided in accordance with the invention, comprises a casing 10 fonned of relatively lightweight durable plastic material. The left-hand end 12 (FIG. I) of the casing is open so that a power supply, such as a dry-cell battery, may be inserted and so that a reflector I4 may be seated on the end of the casing. The reflector 14 supports a conventional lamp socket and lamp assembly 16 which provides electrical connection between one terminal of the power supply. The other terminal of the lamp is connected, in conventional fashion, in series with a manual on-off switch 18 and with the opposite terminal of the power supply. The open end of the casing is closed by a transparent lens 20 and a collar 22. The collar 22 is provided with an internally threaded portion which screws on to a thread formed on the end 12 of the casing 10.

The light source of the lantern is preferably the reflectorlamp socket and lamp assembly described, but it may also be a sealed beam unit if desired.

The power supply of the lantern is preferably a dry-cell battery, however, it may be a rechargeable storage battery and the casing 10 may be dimensioned so as to house both the storage battery and a recharging circuit therefor. Also, the casing 10 may be formed of a red light-transmitting plastic material and dimensioned so as to support an additional lamp wired appropriately with the switch 18? for creating a visible zone of red light and, if desired, flashing circuitry may be included to provide a flasher whereby the lantern may serve as a safety lamp for motorists or others. In addition, appropriate sealing gaskets may be provided to prevent flow of water into the casing 10, and the ratio of weight of the entire lantern to its volume or displacement may be such that the lantern will float when immersed in water thereby permitting use of the lantern by fishermen, boatmen, or divers, either above or below the water surface, without risk of the lantern sinking and being lost.

An important feature of the invention is the tapered frustoconical projection 24 integrally formed intermediate the ends of the casing 10 which projects radially outwardly of the sidewall or surface thereof. An annular groove 26 is formed in the projection 24 adjacent to the surface of the casing and a central opening 28 is provided in the projection through which the switch 18 extends.

A cantilevered, combined hanger-stand-lens protector-handle 30 is attached to the projection 24. The multipurpose handle 30 includes a first portion or eye 32 that is so dimensioned so as to be received in the groove 26 and clamp onto the projection 24 with sufficient frictional force so that the casing and handle 30 are moveable relative to each other about an axis of rotation lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casing with any desired angular relationship existing therebetween. A second or intermediate portion 34 of the handle 30 provides a convenient hand grip for carrying the lantern, and a third ringlike foot portion 36, depending from the intermediate portion 34, serves the threefold purpose of a stand on which the lantern may be supported (FIG. 5), a hanger .by which the lantern may be hung and a lens protector when the handle 30 is swiveled so as to move the ringlike foot portion 36 from a normal carrying position with the foot of the handle in parallel spaced relation to the rear wall 38 of the casing to a lens protecting position with the portion 36 in parallel spaced relation to the lens 20.

The handle 30 is preferably formed of a single piece of wire stock of suitable gauge bent to form the eye 32, the intermediate portion 34 and the ringlike portion 36. The intermediate portion 34 may be encapsulated with a plastic material such as shown at 40 to provide an enlarged gripping area and, if desired, the encapsulation may be extended rearwardly along the handle 30 to include the ringlike portion 36 in order that a high friction material may cover the ringlike portion 36 to increase the frictional engagement between the ringlike portion 36 and a support surface or hook that may be engaged with the ringlike portion 36. The one-piece construction of the handle 30 and the tapered frustoconical configuration of the projection 24 permits easy assembly of the handle 30 with the casing 10. In assembling the handle 30 with the casing 10, the eye 32 is forced down over the projection 24. The resiliency of the handle material, and the open nature of the eye 32, permits the eye to open as it passes over the enlarged portions of the projection 24, and then close, when the eye is received in the groove 26.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the lantern may be placed on a substantially flat surface with the lantern resting on the ringlike portion 36 of the handle 30. As will be obvious, the easing l0 may be swiveled to any desired angular relationship with the handle and the selected relationship maintained without further aid of the user when the lantern is used in this fashion. Similarly, with the lantern suspended from a hook or shelf, the light can be directed to any desired location, and

likewise, when the lantern is to be carried, the light can be directed in any preselected direction by adjusting the angular relationship between the casing and handle.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the lantern provided by the present invention includes features of both structural and operational versatility which will not only enhance their attractiveness, and thus saleability, to the consumer but will also enable their manufacture at relatively low cost due to their simple, but reliable, structural configuration and the ease in which they may be assembled during their manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electrical lantern of the type having a casing which is constructed and arranged to' house an electrical power source and a light source and wherein the power source and light source are electrically connected and disconnected through manually operable switch means, the improvement comprising:

the casing having an integrally formed frustoconical projection intennediate the ends of the casing which projects radially outwardly from the surface of the casing, the projection having a central opening therein and a groove therein adjacent to the surface of the casing, the switch means of the lantern being disposed within the central opening of the projection and extending therethrough,

and a cantilevered handle mounted on the projection, the cantilevered handle comprising:

a. a first portion received in the groove of the projection and clamping the handle to the projection with sufficient frictional force to permit relative swivelling movement between the handle and the casing whereby the handle may be moved to any of a plurality of adjusted positions and the positions will be maintained without further aid of the user;

. an intermediate portion having a longitudinal axis lying in a plane disposed in spaced relation to the casing and adapted to be gripped by a user of the lantern, and

c. a foot portion extending from the intermediate portion and lying in a plane disposed substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate portion.

2. In an electrical lantern of the type set forth in claim I wherein the first portion of the handle clamps the handle to the projection to permit movement of the handle 360 about an axis of rotation lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casing. 

1. In an electrical lantern of the type having a casing which is constructed and arranged to house an electrical power source and a light source and wherein the power source and light source are electrically connected and disconnected through manually operable switch means, the improvement comprising: the casing having an integrally formed frustoconical projection intermediate the ends of the casing which projects radially outwardly from the surface of the casing, the projection having a central opening therein and a groove therein adjacent to the surface of the casing, the switch means of the lantern being disposed within the central opening of the projection and extending therethrough, and a cantilevered handle mounted on the projection, the cantilevered handle comprising: a. a first portion received in the groove of the projection and clamping the handle to the projection with sufficient frictional force to permit relative swivelling movement between the handle and the casing whereby the handle may be moved to any of a plurality of adjusted positions and the positions will be maintained without further aid of the user; b. an intermediate portion having a longitudinal axis lying in a plane disposed in spaced relation to the casing and adapted to be gripped by a user of the lantern, and c. a foot portion extending from the intermediate portion and lying in a plane disposed substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate portion.
 2. In an electrical lantern of the type set forth in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the handle clamps the handle to the projection to permit movement of the handle 360* about an axis of rotation lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casing. 